Former cricketer Isa Guha, the first woman of South Asian descent to represent England in any sport, has been awarded an MBE in the King’s New Year’s Honours for her contributions to inclusivity and cricket.
Guha, a two-time World Cup winner, played eight women’s Tests, 83 ODIs, and 22 T20Is, taking a total of 148 wickets with her medium pace.
She retired from international cricket on March 9, 2012, coinciding with the retirement of former Indian skipper Rahul Dravid from top-flight cricket.
At just 26 years old, Guha chose to end her playing career to pursue opportunities outside of cricket.
Before retiring, she played a pivotal role in England’s victories in both the 50-over World Cup and the T20 World Cup in 2009.
Guha also contributed to England’s
women’s Ashes triumphs in 2005 and 2007-08, achieving her career-best match figures of 9 for 100 at Bowral.
After retiring from cricket, Guha transitioned to commentary, following the path of contemporaries like Anjum Chopra and Lisa Sthalekar.
In 2017, she became the first woman to be appointed to the board of the Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA) as a non-executive director.
Her broadcasting career gained momentum in 2014 when she became the first female summariser for BBC Test Match Special, later commenting on the 2015 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
Guha then founded the charity trust ‘Take Her Lead’, aimed at increasing participation of women and girls in cricket.
Born in 1985 to Barun and Roma, who migrated to London from Kolkata in the 1970s, Guha maintains her connection to her ancestral town with regular visits to preserve her familial ties.
In 2018, Guha married her longtime boyfriend Richard Thomas, a musician in the band Brother & Bones.
